Article stacking mechanism



Oct. 11, 1932. H. A. MORRIS 1,881,844

ARTICLE STACKING-MECHA NISM 'Filed 001;. 25,1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 0a. 11, 1932. H. A. MORRIS 1,881,844

ARTICLE, STACKING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 23, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 TI g-EL 1 M M dtbozmqd Oct. 11, 1932. H. A. MORRIS 1,881,844

ARTICLE STACKING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 23, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 duo: neq a Oct, 11, 1932. H. A. MORRIS 1,881,844

ARTICLE STACKING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 23, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Oct. 11, 1932. H v H ofims 1,881,844

ARTICLE STACKING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 25, 19 29 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 f o 2 J \l Patented Oct. 11, 1932- warren stares.

nowenn A. MORRIS, or TOLEDO, OHIO, Assrenon' TO THE Airwoman? MOLDING &

FOLDING COMPANY, or ronnno, onto, eonronnrronor orrro PATENT oFFIcE- ARTICLE STAGKIITG MI'ECHANISM Application fired October 22,1929. Serial No. 401,892.

This invention relates to packing machines, but more particularly to machines to wrap and package articles such as butter, oleomargarine, or other similar plastic materials.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple and efiicient article wrapping and packaging machine, which is adjustable for handling articles ofadiflerent sizes so that a single machine may be employed to wrap one or a plurality of articles,v arrange them suitably for packaging, and subsequently enclose them in a carton.

'Another object is to provide a simple and efiicient mechanism for arranging articles in a stack preparatory to packaging, such mechanism being operable tohandle articles of difierent sizes, or may be rendered inoperativeso that the machine may function with out the operation of the stacking device.

A further object is to provide an article wrapping and packaging machine having the new and improved features of construction, arrangement and operation hereinafter described. Y

The invention is shown byway of illus t'ration in the accompanying. drawings, in which: V

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an article wrapping and packaging machine;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a portion of a machine showing the article wrapping mechanism, and the stacking housing and associated parts; Y

Fig. '3 is a side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2 more clearly showing the article stacking mechanism; I Fig. 4L is a transverse sectional elevation on the line l4 of Fig. 2 showing the elevator in its raised position;

Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrammatic views showing the operation of the stacker or elevator for use in handling one-quarter pound bars; y

Figs. 7 and 8 are diagrammatic views of the stacking mechanism handling one-half pound bars;

Fig. 9 is'a diagrammatic viewof the mech anism adjustedfor handling one pound bars,

in which the elevator is rendered inopera- Fig. 10 is a perspective view of themechanism for folding the end and side flaps about the article. j V 1 The illustrated embodiment. of theinven} tion comprises a machine for wrapping and packaging .bars of butter, oleomargarine, and the like, in which the bars are first delivered to feeding mechanism A, which advances the articles step by step along atable, andfrom which a ram B advances individualarticles along a guide C. Sheets of relatively Iflexible material, such as parchment paper, ,are delivered into the path of movement of the bars bya sheet feeding andv severing mechanism D. The bars are then further advanced by the ram B through mechanism E, which partially folds the sheetsabout theindividual articles. The folding of the sheets about the articles isfcompleted by mechanism F. shown in detail in Fig. 10 g i The articles are then arranged in suitable manner for packaging, having been previously completely wrapped with thesheet ma-. terial. In a case of'one-quarter pound bars, the bars are arranged in a symmetrical stack containing four, whereas, in the case of one half pound bars, two bars are stacked one upon-the other, but the one-pound bars are advanced without further arrangement, the stacking mechanism being adjusted to inoperative position. Carton blanks are then 'delivered t0 the path of movement of the ar ticlesby carton feeding mechanism G, and during the further advance of'the unit carton folding mechanism is provided for packaging the unit. I I

Detail description of all the above .men-v tioned parts is considered unnecessary, be

a cause this invention is particularly'concerned.

with the stacking mechanism andassociated parts. driving and control mechanism, thismachine closely resembles that shown-in the United States patent to John P. Aldrich et al., N 0. 1,57 3,024, of February 16th, 1926. .It is be lieved that theabove-brief description of the complete-apparatus is; suflicient to enable those skilled in the art clearlyto understand.

While there are difler'ences in the the following description concerning the article stacking mechanism.

Articles are advanced step by step in the forward or advanced portion of the machine by a feed frame 10, to which is imparted horizontalv reciprocatory movements I as wellas vertical movements at the beginning and end port-ion of the stroke, the path of movement of the frame being indicated by the dotted lines 10 The'mechanism for operating is clearly shown and described in the above mentioned patent, it being deemed suflicient to point out that reciprocatory movements are imparted by an arm 11,, and vertical movements are imparted thereto by a lever and "link arrangement 12. v

Mounted on the rear end of the feed frame 10 is a paddle 13, and spaced forwardly of the paddle 13isanother paddle 14,these paddles being adapted to engage articles on the guide C andadvance them'progressively toward the dischargeend of the machine. Pivoted to the frame 10 in the region of the paddle 13 isran elevator 15, comprising laterally disposed tongues, which are fixed at one'end to a shaft 16, rotatable in a b'earing'17 on the frame 10.

Normally, the tongues comprising the elevator 15 are held by gravity in downward position away from the guide 0. A dog 18, associated with the elevator 15, is engageable with a roller 19 mounted on the side frame of the machine, and is adapted to lift the elevator so that the upper surface of the tongues are disposed in a substantially horizontal po sition suitable to engage the underside of the bars and raise them, as willhereinafterbe described; The dog 18 is integral with a collar 20 and an arm 21, also integral with the collar 20, extends outwardly therefrom slightlyat an angle to the dog- 18. Secured to the elevator15 is an arm 22, the end of which terminates adjacent the, end portion of the arm 21. Inter-posed between the arms 21 and 22 is a coiled spring 23, the arrangement being such thatvwhen the dog 18 abuts against the roller 19 causing the elevator to swing in a clockwise direction, the force is imparted through the spring 23, thereby to compensate for any derangement of parts,

and to provide a yieldable engagement between the bars and elevator.

v By inspection of the diagram. 10 indicating the path of travel of the pusher frame 10, the'operation of the elevator 15' will be apparent. As the feed frame is retracting in its lowered position the dog 18 encounters the roller 19, causing the elevator to assume a.

1 ticleor'articles on the guide C, and elevates them to the upper portion of the stacking housing 24. r

As above pointed out, the ram B-advances individual articles along the guide C, and the operation of this ram is such as to deliver individual articles through a portion of the sheet wrapping mechanism E to a point slightly in rear of the stacking housing 24. In this position the sheet is partially wrapped about the article's leaving end flaps and side flaps projecting therefrom (see 10). These flaps are foldedin the following man ner. First, L-shaped levers 25'disposed on opposite sides of the guide C move inwardly toward each other to fold the end flaps toward each'other. Thereafter, levers 26 also positioned on opposite sides of the guide C move upwardly to fold the lower side flap, and the upper side flap is thereafter folded over against the lower folded side flap by a ticles of a divisible number; in the case of one-quarter pound bars, a row of four bars is formed; in the case of one-half pound bars,

a row of two'bars is formed, and when one pound bars are being handled the elevator 15 is rendered inoperative, it being desired in this instance to, provide a package containing one pound of butter, oleomargarine, or the like, containing either four one-quarter pound-bars, two one-half pound bars, or a one pound bar, as desired. In order to render the stacking mechanism inoperative, the arms. 18 and 21 are moved as a unit in a counter clockwise direction away from the arm '22-, thereby to, allow the elevator to hang downwardly out of operative position (Fig. 9). T

As the elevator-"15 moves upwardly it car- ,ries with it either two one-quarter pound bars, or one one-half pound bar, as the case may be. As shown in Fig. 4 side plates 28 are disposed on oppositesides of the guide C in position to engage the ends of the bars,

Each side plate 28 is'providedfat its upper edge with an inwardly projectingledge 30 so that as the bars are moved upwardly the plates 28 are cammed inwardly to permit the bars to pass thereover, and after the bars have passed the ledge 80 the springs 29 re.

turn the plates 28 to normal position sothat the ledges 39 provide a support for the elevated bars. Pressure plates 31 disposed above the plates 28 engage the ends of the; bars in elevated position, adjustable springs 32 providing'a yielding pressure tolhold: the:

its

articles remaining in the row previously 7 plates 31 against the bars and retain the latter in the desired position. As shown, the lower edges of the plates 31 are beveled at 33 so that the plates 31 do not interfere with the upward movement of the bars.

In order to prevent unfolding of the parchment paper which encloses the rear articles of the elevated pair in the case of onequarter pound bars, or the rear side of the sheet enclosing the elevated half-pound bar, stop plates 34 are so arranged that one side of the article abuts thereagainst.

Forming a yieldable stop for the movement of the articles to position them properly for stacking, fingers 35 are fixed to a transverse rod 36 disposed above the stacking housing, and a coil spring 37 normally holds the fingers in a substantially vertical position. These fingers also assist in holding the articles against the abutment plates 34 to prevent unwrapping thereof.

From the above description it will be apparent that after a predetermined number of wrapped bars have been elevated in the stacking housing the feed frame 10 commences'its advancing movement, and at that time the rear paddle 13 engages the rear formed. Thereafter, as the frame advances the rear articles are advanced along the guide C to a position beneath the elevated article or articles, and continued movement serves .7 to advance the stack so formed as a unit along the guide C, the forward paddle 14 having advanced the stack previously formed into engagement with a carton W (Fig. 6), and succeeding paddles (not shown) carried by the frame 10 serve to complete the movement of the stacks along the guide C and through the carton folding mechanism H above referred to, and clearly described in the above mentioned patent. It will be obvious that the above stacking mechanismmay be used to stack articles of diiferent sizes, it being understood that the operation of the ram 13 is varied according to the size of the article being handled. For example, in handling one-quarter pound bars it will operate more rapidly in order to provide a row of four wrapped articles, whereas in the case of one-half pound bars the row contains but two bars.

It is not considered necessary to explain in detail the operating mechanism for controlling the rate of operation of the various parts. Sufiice it to say that a transmission T is provided for changing the speed of operation of the various parts so that the parts may operate more rapidly or more slowly, according to the size of the articles being handled.

It is to be understood that the above description is given by way of illustration and not of limitation, and numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation may be effected without departing from thespirit of the invention. I v What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. .In a'machine for packing articles of 2.111 a machine for packing articles,

means to form a row of articles, means to elevatea predeterminednumber of the foremost articles in said row a distance substantially equal to the thickness thereof, and means to advance the rear articles to form a stack with the elevated articles. I i

. 3. In a machine for packing articles, means to form a row of divisible number of articles, means to elevate the foremost half of said number a distance substantially equal to the thickness thereof, and meanstolimpart relative movement between the remaining articles and elevated articles to form a stack. I i

4;. In a machine for packing articles, means to form a row of articles, means to elevate a predetermined number of'articles in the row adistance substantially equal to the thickness thereof, means independent of said elevating means for holding said articles in elevated position,'and means to impart relative movement between the remaining articles and those elevated to form a stack.

, 5. In a machine for packing articles,

means to form a row of articles, an elevator to form a row of articles containing a divisible.number,. an elevator for elevating the foremost half of the row a distance substan-' tially. equal to the thickness thereof, yield-' able means for holding said articles in ele vated position, and means for advancing the remaining articles to position beneath the elevated articles to form astack;

7 In a machine for packing articles, means to form a row of'articles, an elevator for lifting a predetermined number of articles from the row, a distance substantially equal to the thickness thereof,-spring means for holding said articles in elevated position, and means for advancing the remaining articles of the row beneath said elevated articles and thereafter advancing the stack of articles so formed. V R t V 8. In a machine for packing articles, a

guide, means for advancing-articles step by step along said guide to form-a rowcontainin'ga divisible number of articles, ayieldable stop against which theforemost article of 'said row abuts, an elevator for elevating onehalf the number ofarticles in said row, yieldable means for retaining said articles in elevated position, and means for advancing the remaining articles in said row to aposition beneath the elevated article's, thereby to perform a symmetrical stack. Y a 1 9. In a machine for packing articles, means to form va row of articles individually Wrapped in flexible sheet material, an eleva-' 5 tor for elevating a predetermined number of articles of said row with relation to the re.- maining articles, 'yieldable means engaging the ends of said articles to'hold them in elevated position and c prevent. unwrapping so thereof, means engaging one side of the row of said elevated articles to prevent unwrapping of the wrapping sheet, and a paddle movable with said elevator for advancing the remaining articles of the row to a position beneath said elevated articles to form .a stack.

10. In a machine for packing articles, means to form a'row of articles individually Wrapped in flexible sheet material, an'ele'vator for elevating a predetermined number of articles of said row with relation to the remaining articles, yieldable-means engaging the ends of said. articles to hold them in elevated position and prevent unwrapping thereof, means engaging one side of the row of said elevated articles to prevent unwrap ping of the wrapping sheet, and-a paddle movable with said elevator-for advancing the 7 remaining articles of the row to 'aposition beneath said elevated articles to form .a stack.

-11. In a machine forpacking articles,

I means'to provide a row of articles with the opposite ends in alinement, said means being operable to move said articles individualy int-o alinement, means movable vertically in *5 a direction at right angles to the direction of movement of said: articles for moving a predetermined number of'the foremost articles in the roW .a distancesubstantially equalto thethickness of said articles, and means to impart'relative movement-between the remaining articles'of therow and those previously moved to arrange same in' stacked formation.- I i In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my-name to'this specification.

j HOWARD A.. MORRIS. 

